Anticardiolipin Antibodies in Recurrent Fetal Loss

Antiphospholipid antibodies can be detected both in some autoimmune disorders and in women with habitual abortion without evidence of a clinical autoimmune disease. Anticardiolipin antibodies and lupus anticoagulant factor are the two antiphospolipid antibodies which seem to have a role in habitual and spontaneous abortions, fetal growth retardation and intrauterine fetal deaths. The cause of the fetoplacental pathology remains unknown but it is likely that the thrombotic tendency observed in these patients also involves the decidual and placental blood vessels. A possible explanation for this thrombotic tendency has been the inhibition of vascular prostacyclin synthesis with resultant thromboxane dominance. We studied the incidence of anticardiolipin antibodies and lupus anticoagulant factor in habitual and spontaneous abortions and intrauterine fetal deaths in this report. An increased incidence of anticardiolipin antibodies was found in women with unexplained recurrent fetal loss.